REVIEW: GANNET, Peggy Pollard and Daisy Day, EdFringe 2026 ★★★

Daisy Day is a wonderful performer in her collaboration with Peggy Pollard, GANNET. This is an office comedy spoofing the absurdities of interview processes that features very little discussion of seabirds but a lot of laughs. 

Pollard and Day are very able observational comedians. Their characters are well sketched and most are hilarious. An intern whose job it is to go on coffee runs but dreams of being a Broadway star is a brilliant creation, high-pitched, pathetic – but ultimately quite sweet. A CEO is a typical alpha-male is realised with a disturbing accuracy. There are lethargic receptionists, overzealous security guards and at the heart of it all a lady below the top guy terrorising the prospective interviewees, whilst also striking a quite tragic chord. The CEO won’t attend her BBQ after all. 

As for where the Gannet fits into this brilliantly realised office system, I’m not so sure. It wants its mama (who is pretty hilariously ground up by a plane turbine in like the fifth minute). It climbs up the ranks and ends up on the board. Day and Pollard could be making a comment on Gen-Z alienation from the workplace here, but it’s not quite coming through. A version of the play which focuses solely on the office would function clearly, and maybe that’s an issue in a play called GANNET. 

There’s some great writing here, and whilst a 12pm slot is going to be tricky with crowd-work material (normally made easier by a few pints), I do think the audience were more game than the play allowed us to be. The notion that we’re all prospective interviewees, for example, could be hilarious — but the concept is not necessarily fully realised. Furthermore, the Gannet is really beautifully sketched, but we barely see them develop a bit beyond their birth and the death of their mother. Further confidence in two fundamental aspects of clowning – physicality and audience interaction- could elevate the piece to new heights. 

Still, as a comedy, this works brilliantly. It’s very funny. Day is charming and compelling, and she performs the multiple roles with genuine aplomb. This one’s worth a catch if an office spoof is your thing, and it’s a great start to your fringe day. 

Recommended Drink: Something from Costa, get that intern to run it up for you. 

You can catch GANNET at Just the Tonic @ Mash House at 12.00 every day until 30th August (50mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.